Well seal



5. WHITE WELL SEAL Aug. 28, 1928.

Filed March 21, 1927 Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

J'UNITED STATES STARLEY WHITE, 01: STUTTGART, ARKANSAS.

WELL SEAL.

Application filed larch 21',

My invention relates to well seals and more particularly to a seal for irrigatlon wells. It has especial relation to a seal for the upper portion of a well which will not only prevent sand or other substances from getting into the well but will also protect the sealingmechanism.

It has heretofore been the practice to seal irrigation wells by wrapping sacks about the suction pipe at the entrance into the top of the well casing, but this method has been unsatisfactory as the well casing in many instances is very uneven and is sometimes dam ed to such an extent that no seal at the top of t e casing will prevent leaking. Under such COIldltions sand is often forced over the to of the casing and dropping downward therein often fills the strainer, requiring the removal of the pump, in order to bucket the sand and again put the well in condition for use, which is an expensive proposition. Where the top of the well casing, as is often the case, is some d1stances below the surface of the ground and in addition where the well casing has been damaged so that it is necessary to locate the seal some distance below the top of the casing, sand forced over the top of the casing covers the top of the seal and prevents access thereto, and in such cases also the seal is so far from the surface as to be inaccessible for tightenin @Vith these facts in view the objects of my invention are:

(a) To secure around the suction pipe, a p

well seal which may be lowered with the suction pipe and when so lowered will automatically center itself and enter the well casing;

(b) To provide a well seal which may be secured to the suction pipe and which when lowered therewith will form a seal therefor with the well casing;

(c) To rovide an auxiliary shield which will cover t e upper end of the well casmg and minimize the amount of material which must be revented by the seal from getting into the we 1;

(d) To generally im rove the design and condition of such a mec anism.

I accomplish these objects First, by making a seal which may be independently secured on and sealed to the suction pipe;

Second, by making such a seal with a conical lower end so that the smaller portion thereof will readily enter the well casing and guide the seal to place;

1927. Serial No. 177,167.

Third, by providing an independent means for automatically sea ing, against the interior of the well casing; and

Fourth, by providing an independent annular disc which will slide on the suction pipe and rest on the top of the well casing and project outward and beyond.

The drawing is a sectional elevation of the up er portion of a well casing showing the we 1 pit there-around, the suction pipe extending into the well casing and the seal be tween the suction pipe and the well casing.

Referring now to the drawing in which the parts are indicated by numerals; 1, is the well pit which extends from the ground surface downward a short distance as is usual. Within this well pit is the well casing 8, the upper portion of which is disposed below the ground surface and which casing extends downward below the bottom of the well pit. Disposed within the well casing 8, is the suction pipe 3, which extends from the pump 4 downward. 5 and 6 are the discharge pipes from the pump. 7 is an annular disc which is slidable along the suction pipe 3 and preferably is 0111 loose enough thereon toinsure that it will reely slide along the pipe. The exterior diameter of this disc is greater than the exterior diameter of the well casing 3, so that;1 the edge of the disc will project there beyon 9 is an annular member or seal body, adapted to surround and slide alon the suction ipe 3. The upper portion of t is seal bed is provided with an annular chamber 11, in which packing 10 may be disposed. 12 is a gland likewise surroundin the suction pipe 3 which gland rests on t e packing 10 and may be forced there against as by bolts. When these bolts are tightened the packing 10 is pressed against the suction pipe 3, and not only forms a seal between the seal body and the pipe but inaddition provides a means for securing the seal body to the suction pipe 3, so that the seal body may be inserted within the well casing 8 or removed therefrom by the placing, or removing, of the suction pipe as the case may be.

Surrounding the seal body is an annular groove 13, in which groove a flexible ring 14; is disposed, the outer diameter of this ring being made greater than the inner diameter of the well casing so that when the seal body is forced within the well casing, the flexible ring will form a seal between the seal body and the inner surface of the well casing. The

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bottom end of the seal bod has a conical or tapered surface 15, whie surface extends from the flexible ring 14, downward and Inward and forms a guide which will cause the seal body to enter the well casing and which will also so far as is possible, protect the flexible ring 14 from damage.

Before installing the suction pipe of the pump within the well casing, the upper end of the casing is examined, so far as it can be examined to determine what portion thereof has been damaged if any. \Vhen this has been done, the annular disc 7 is slipped over the suction pipe, and the seal body 9 is then also placed over the suction p1 e at such point thereon, as will cause the sea body to enter the well casing far enough to be below the damaged portion of the casing. The gland 12 is then tightened until the seal body 1s firmly secured to the suction pipe, so that when the suction pi e is lowered, the seal body must necessari y move therewith. It

.will be seen that at the time the seal body is secured to the suction pipe full access may be had to the gland bolts for tightening them.

The pump with the suction pipe attached thereto is then lowered into the well, with the suction pipe within the well casing 8. When the seal body reaches the upper end of the well casin the conical guide 15, guides the seal body mto the casing, and the flexible ring is compressed and binds against the inner surface of the casing. As soon as the seal body passes below the top of the well casing, the disc 7 will come to rest on the top of the casing and thereafter the suction pi e will slide through this disc.

aving described my invention what I claim is:

1. A well seal, comprising an annular member having an internal annular packing chamber, an independent external annular chamber and a frusto conical ortion extending from the outer edge 0 said external chamber inward to the bore of said member,

acking in said external chamber, packing in said internal chamber, a gland for said internal chamber, and means for tightening said gland to compress said internal packing independentl of said external packing. V

2. In a we 1 seal, the combination with the suction pipe and the well casing, of a seal comprising an annular member, having an internal annular chamber surrounding said suction pipe and an independent external annular chamber adjacent said well casing, packing1 in said external chamber normally ada te to contact with said well casin pac ing in said internal chamber surroun ingsaid suction pipe, a gland for said interna chamber, means for tightening said gland to compress said packing and secure and seal said annular member to said suction pipe, while permitting said exterior packing to slide along and seal said member to said well casing, and an independent annular disk, disposed around said suction pipe above said seal members.

In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

STARLEY ITE. 

